1 out of 3
by jremme
Summary: Originally written for Satuday Night Writing Challenge, prompt: ball drop for New Year's and midnight kiss. Slight HouseCameron...maybe more later, depending on how the story goes, AU, of when Cameron got hired at PPTH. ON HIATUS...NEED INSPIRATION!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Written for Saturday Night Writing Challenge on Forum. Please R&R, and enjoy!

1 out of 3

"Do I _have_ to go with you while you troll for your latest conquest?"

"I've told you at least a dozen times, yes, please, as a favor to me, and this isn't about conquests; it's about a connection."

"Kinda like the "connection" you made with Tabitha last year, resulting in your second divorce."

"Yes, and thank you so much for the reminder; I'd almost forgotten."

James Wilson glanced in the mirror in his friend's bathroom and straightened his tie.

"It's a _bar_, Jimmy, not the freakin' Plaza."

"Doesn't mean I have to look like I got run over by a garbage truck," he glanced meaningfully at Gregory House, who was sprawled out on his bed, checking his clock every 10 seconds in order to keep track of how long it took Wilson to get ready.

"Of course, if you _really_ don't want to go, you could always go through CV's."

This elicited a face from House, and the comment, "I can't believe she's making me hire a woman. How big a team do I have to have before she's satisfied? I should just take them all on. I bet that'd shut her up."

"She's just concerned about the image of having a chauvinist pig working for her, and she's attempting damage control by making you hire a woman, who, I might add, will have the potential of bringing a lot to your team."

"Well, she'll bring something anyway, and it's below the brain area…significantly below. Speaking of my team, why couldn't we go with them and watch the stupid ball drop live instead of being forced to watch it on a dusty TV screen? I'd love to see Chase get drunk. That has 'good times' written all over it."

"Because, and I can't believe you're making me say this again, I refuse to run into Samantha, no matter how remote the chance."

"She's your ex-wife, not an axe murderer."

"They're one and the same as far as I'm concerned."

"Are you finished _yet_?"

"Good enough, I suppose. Let's go."

"Finally! I thought I'd die from old age."

"Knowing you, you'd die from malnutrition first," Wilson said, alluding to all the junk food his friend appeared to live on.

Alison Cameron looked at her reflection in the three-way mirror in her bedroom, and carefully blotted her lip gloss. Her friend, Jennifer Davies, lay on her bed, yawning from boredom.

"Are you even close to being ready? It's just a bar, it's not like we're actually going to New York or anything."

"We should, though. I'd love to see the ball drop live. I'm sick of seeing it on TV."

Jenn sighed. "We've been through this. I cannot risk running into Paul. I won't."

"There'll be like thousands of people there," Alison argued. "What are the odds?"

"Anything is too high. Now, hurry up, before I die of old age."

Alison checked her outfit for the 20th time, and then went to her closet to change for the 10th.

"Ally," Jenn whined. "I promised myself I'd hook up tonight, and I can't do that if we never leave."

"Not looking like that you won't. You look like a garbage truck hit you, or maybe a wrecking ball."

"I look like I'm not trying to impress anyone. This isn't a fellowship interview. Speaking of which, how are those going?"

"Lousy. I got offered one with Amy Flint, but I don't know if I'll take it, I wanna see how this last one with Bruce Farley turns out."

"I don't see why you need one anyway."

"Experience."

"Ready yet? You look good, by the way. Maybe you'll find someone."

"Maybe, but I'm not looking."

"So you're just going as my wingman? Or girl. Whatever."

"Basically." Alison glanced again in the mirror, and was pulled to the door by Jenn before she could get too critical of her appearance.

They arrived at the bar nearest Alison's apartment and Jenn immediately began working her magic. Alison, meanwhile, stationed herself at the bar, and ordered herself a cocktail, ignoring all the men around her.

An hour later, Jenn came over and sat beside her.

"How's it going?" Alison asked.

"Everybody in here lies, I think. Every man I've talked to is a doctor…oh, one was a dentist. C'mon, there's no way!"

"At least one might be, statistically speaking. How about him?" She pointed to a well-groomed man sitting at a table in a corner with what looked to her like a hobo of some kind.

"Yea, he looks all right. Maybe a little old."

"If you want to meet a doctor, they're probably going to be a bit older. I thought you liked older men."

"I do. All right, I'll go give that guy a shot. He's cute anyway." Jenn got up and went to the corner table. She said something and the cute guy looked up. The homeless guy, or whatever he was, ignored her and cast his eyes about the bar. They fell on her.

She found herself looking back. His gaze was one that could command attention, and she concluded that he had the most gorgeous pair of eyes she'd ever seen. He looked away first, and then looked at his companion as something was said to him. He shrugged, and the cute guy got up and went to the dance floor with Jenn.

"Go Jenn!!" Alison called with a smile. Her friend turned and beamed at her. After the dance, she excused herself, and practically flew over to Alison.

"Well, of course he says he's a doctor, but I don't care if he's lying or not. He's smart, funny, and even better looking up close."

"What's his name?"

"James Wilson."

"I've heard of him actually. He is a doctor, an oncologist. He works at…I can't remember…oh, Princeton Plainsboro."

"So, he's an actual doctor?"

Alison nodded.

Jenn smiled, got up and went back to Dr. Wilson. Cameron turned back to her second cocktail, and then jumped as she heard a voice next to her.

"Ya know, if you wanna get drunk, you're gonna have to go through about 12 of those, unless you're a feather-weight."

She looked up and found herself face to face with the hobo guy who was with Dr.Wilson.

"I'm not trying to get drunk, thank you. I have an interview tomorrow."

"To do what?"

Cameron sighed. She didn't want to get into her life story with this guy, but at least she was talking to someone, instead of just sitting there nursing cocktails.

"If you must know, I'm interviewing for fellowships."

She half expected him to inquire about the word fellowship, but he didn't, only nodded.

"Who are you interviewing with?"

"_Why __does__ he care_?" she thought.

"Dr. Bruce Farley," she answered, knowing the name would mean nothing to him.

"Don't take it. Farley's an idiot." He glanced up at the TV, where the ball was going to drop in about 15 minutes.

"He's supposed to be brilliant."

"He's not."

"How would you know?"

"Because I've _met _the man. Don't take it."

"All right…Who would you suggest?"

"No one. Fellowships are a waste of time. You want experience, dive right in."

Alison narrowed her eyes. "How do you know so much about it?"

"You're interviewing for fellowships, and you don't have any more intelligence than this? Amazing."

She put two and two together, ignoring the insult. "I take it you're a doctor, then?"

"Very good!" He applauded her, enunciating each syllable, and she resisted the urge to slap the smug grin from his face.

She held out her hand instead. "I'm Alison Cameron."

He didn't shake it, didn't do anything, just looked at her with that mesmerizing gaze.

"And you would be…?" she prompted.

"Gregory House," he said simply, then got up and walked back to the table he had recently vacated.

She watched him go, noticing for the first time the cane and the limp he had. She wrinkled her brow, wondering what could possibly have happened to him. He didn't seem like the sharing type though. She had heard of him, of course, but had never seen him. Meeting him only heightened her curiosity, and she almost followed him to his table, but thought better of it, not knowing for sure what she would say.

Jenn came back to the bar momentarily, Dr. Wilson behind her.

"My friend, Alison Cameron, Alison, this is James Wilson."

Alison held out her hand again, this time receiving a warm shake in return.

"I've heard of you Dr. Wilson," she said as they shook.

"Good things, I hope," he smiled warmly, and she could see why Jenn seemed so taken with him. She felt instantly at ease, like she'd known him her whole life. He and House were definitely polar opposites.

"_Just like 'The Odd Couple'. I wonder if they live together…_" she thought.

"Very good things," she replied. "I'm actually interviewing for fellowships, and your name has come up once or twice. Dr. Flint was wondering if you were hiring. She thought you could be another option for me."

"I'm not. I don't really hire fellows. But my friend is hiring another, if you're interested in diagnostics."

Alison brightened at the word. "I am!"

"He's interviewing tomorrow, hopefully. You should stop by. Do you know where Princeton Plainsboro is?"

Alison thought a moment. "I know exactly where it is. I have an interview with Dr. Farley, but I bet I could swing by afterward. It never hurts to have more than a few options. Who's the department head?"

"Dr. Greg House. He came with me actually. He's over there." He jerked a thumb to the corner table, where the man Alison had mistaken for a vagrant still sat.

Her face fell considerably, and Wilson picked up on it.

"I take it you've met him."

"Yea, if you wanna call it that."

"He's a jerk, yes, but he's also good at what he does. Don't let him deter you from interviewing. You'll learn a lot if you get hired, I guarantee it."

Alison nodded. "I'll definitely think about it."

Their conversation was cut short by the host on TV announcing the dropping of the ball. Wilson went over to the table and grabbed his friend, dragging him over to the front of the room. The countdown began.

At midnight, a cheer went up in the bar, and Jenn leaned over and kissed Dr. Wilson. Alison watched them happily, then stole a glance at House. He was watching the screen.

Feeling bold as a result from the cocktails, she went up to him and kissed him, without warning, quickly and softly on the lips. She was surprised when she felt him kissing back a second later, and she responded by partially opening her mouth, something she hadn't intended to do, but didn't let it get any further than that.

"Happy New Year," she said, pulling away.

He looked at her, the same look he'd been giving her throughout the evening. He then mumbled something she couldn't understand, then went outside to wait for Wilson.

After Jenn said her good-byes, she came back to Alison with a piece of paper, which had James' cell number written on it.

She giggled. "He is just the sweetest guy. I know I said I was gonna hook up for the night, but this is even better. How'd it go with Dr. Jerkwad?"

"What do ya mean, 'how'd it go'? I wasn't out to make anything happen. He's interesting, to say the least."

"You kissed him."

"So, what? I thought you were supposed to do that at New Year's."

Jenn changed the subject, rather than pursuing it. "Are you gonna interview with him?"

"I think so, yes."

"You're crazy. He's probably hell to work for."

"Yea, but I want to know more about him. There's just something…I can't explain it."

"He's not a puzzle. He's just a jackass. But, on the other hand, James seems to think something of him."

"Exactly. So, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, just because I interview doesn't mean I'll get an offer."

"Wow, Jenn is great! I can't believe it," Wilson gushed as he joined House outside the bar, and they headed for Wilson's car, then got inside.

"Yea, good for you, but I couldn't help but notice she's not here, which means you're not getting any tonight."

"Doesn't matter. I made a connection. That was the goal. What did you think of Alison?"

"Who?"

"The girl who was with Jenn…the one you talked to, the one who kissed you at midnight."

"Oh, her. She was hot."

Wilson wrinkled his brow. "That's it?"

"You're right. How insensitive of me. She was very hot." He leaned back in the seat and was silent until Wilson pulled up in front of his building.

"I'll see you tomorrow. And you are interviewing, right?"

"If you say so." He got out of the car and disappeared inside. Wilson headed for home.

The next day Alison woke up, and got ready for her interview. She checked herself over in the mirror, making certain she looked professional and not too eager. She had to focus. The problem was she couldn't get Dr. House out of her mind. She shoved the image of him staring at her from across the room to the back of her head, grabbed her purse, and headed out the door to meet with Dr. Farley.

Wilson went straight to House's office when he was finished with his own paperwork. He didn't trust him to get through interviews by himself, or to even start them, for that matter. Dr. Lisa Cuddy didn't trust him either, and when Wilson arrived at House's office, he found the Dean of Medicine already there, lecturing to a bored looking House.

"Just hire one woman, that's all I'm asking. I don't care who, just as long as she's capable." She turned around and acknowledged Wilson's presence.

"Thank god. I assume you're here to supervise, James?"

"I figured I should."

"Thank you. I want someone hired by the end of the day." She turned on her heel and left.

"Ok, Jimmy, here are my requirements. I want at least a C cup, and 5'6 or taller. Oh, and I'd prefer long hair, but if she matches the other two, then short hair's ok. The rest is up to you." And with that, he leaned back, put his feet up on his desk, and covered his face with the CV from the top of the short stack that sat on his desk.

"Oh no, you don't," Wilson uncovered his face and laid the CV in front of him. "You're going to be involved and you're not going to base this on height, hair, and bra size. Now, I'm going to get the first person." He left and came back with the first of the 12 perspective fellows.

Perspective fellow 13, meanwhile, was currently trying to get through her interview with Dr. Farley. The man was…well, _boring_. He spoke in a monotone that would have put Ben Stein to shame. Alison did her best to answer his questions without yawning. When he announced the end of the interview, she jumped up a little too quickly and stuck her hand out for him to shake. He shook it weakly, and showed her out the door. Alison couldn't get out of there faster.

She thought about calling Dr. Flint right then and there and accepting her offer, but then she remembered the piercing gaze she'd shoved to the back of her mind that morning. Mind made up, she checked to make sure she had an extra copy of her credentials, and then headed to Princeton Plainsboro for a last interview.

Wilson massaged his aching temples as he watched the last candidate leave in a huff.

"Do you have to offend everyone who comes in contact with you?"

"I sure do. If they can't handle me, how can they handle working for me?"

"You might have a point, but you're also out of applicants. You have to choose one and then I suppose it'll be up to me to beg them to accept." He had to admit, he was a little disappointed that Alison hadn't shown up.

"What about…" he leafed through the CVs and pulled one out at random, "Cleo Tibble? That's a funny name. I could get used to saying that. Tibble, make some coffee, Tibble, do my clinic hours, Tibble, wax my cane…the list goes on."

"Yea, you made fun of it. I don't think I'll be able to convince her. She was pretty mad."

House pulled out another one, and read the name. Wilson shook his head and gave a reason for the woman in question to not accept the job offer. This was repeated until the pile had been used up.

"I'm guessing I'll have to talk to Dr. Cuddy about this, see what she wants to do." Wilson got up and left the office. Cuddy wasn't in her office and her assistant told him she was in the lobby with some perspective donors. Wilson took the elevator down to the ground floor, and stepped out, only to see a lost Alison Cameron wandering around the lobby.

He waved to her. "Alison!" She noticed the familiar face and smiled, waving back.

He jogged over to her. "You decided to give it a shot?"

"Yep, not sure where I'm supposed to go though."

"Come with me. We've been through 12 applicants already. You're the last."

"None of them worked?"

"He offended them all. It's par for the course, actually."

This didn't surprise her at all, and she prepared herself to get the same treatment. At least she had an advantage; she'd been warned.

"Could you do me a favor, and tell Jenn I will call her tonight?"

Cameron smiled and nodded. "Of course I will."

Wilson opened the office door for her and she went in, dropping her CV in front of House and sitting in the chair opposite him. His eyes opened in recognition and then took on the look of the previous night. She shifted uncomfortably, feeling exposed by that look, vulnerable.

Wilson took note that he wasn't saying anything, so he began the round of questioning. She did very well, her eyes never leaving House's. Wilson was quite impressed by her answers, and when he was finished, he glanced at House to see if he had anything to add.

He ran his tongue over his lips, as though remembering last night.

"Stand up."

She did so, and he scrutinized her, looking her over from head to toe. She squirmed slightly under his intense gaze, getting the feeling he was somehow seeing through her. Then he turned to Wilson.

"She only meets 1 out of 3 of my requirements," he stated.

Wilson's shoulders slumped and he gave his friend a frustrated look.

House sighed, then motioned Alison back into the chair. She sat and met his eyes again. She was nervous about doing that too much, but she couldn't get enough. He narrowed his eyes at her, thinking, then tossed the other CVs in the trash can.

"You're hired. Show up tomorrow, 8 sharp." She smiled, but decided against initiating a handshake. She got up to leave, sharing a high five with Wilson as she headed for the door. She stopped when she heard him calling her.

"Cameron?"

She turned around.

"Don't be late."


	2. first day

**A/N: Most of the lovely people who read this thought it should continue, so here I am, updating despite the fact that I should really be doing schoolwork. This is more fun, however, so it won out. Thank you all for the overwhelming response to this fic!! I was amazed!! Enjoy!!**

**Chapter 2: first day **

Cameron woke up earlier than usual the next day, and took her time getting ready. She knew she wouldn't keep this up every day, but it would be nice to make a good first impression on her co-workers. From what she had heard from Wilson, there were two and they were both men. Between them and House, she felt like she had a lot to prove.

She had experience with male coworkers previously. They were harder to impress, and they had problems paying attention to a woman's ideas and intellect, preferring to focus instead on the legs or the chest. She was determined that this time, things would be different. She would be confident, assertive, insist upon their respect, command it.

"_Easier said than done_," she thought to herself, taking a look in the mirror after showering and dressing.

She looked professional. Young, maybe too young, but professional. She went over her clothing choice. Conservative, nothing flashy, nothing to attract attention where it wasn't wanted. She looked like a younger version of her mother, which carried both positive and negative connotations.

She looked at her bedside clock. She had plenty of time. She ambled to the kitchen, and made some coffee and a bagel for breakfast, and watched the news. She found she was glancing at the clock about every 2 minutes, and after about a half hour of this, she decided she'd just leave. House had, after all, told her not to be late. He hadn't made any mention of being early.

She paused with her hand on the doorknob.

"_What if I'm too early? What if they think I'm sucking up or something?...So much for confidence. Just go, and deal with it, whatever happens_."

When she arrived at the hospital, she sat in her car, and looked at the building in front of her, wondering what awaited her inside. Taking a deep breath, she opened the car door, and stepped out and into the building.

Once inside, she thought back to her interview, trying to mentally envision the path she'd followed to the diagnostic office. She couldn't remember the floor at all, and cursed the rare memory lapse. She made it to the elevator, and pressed a random number. She could always ask someone. She stepped off, and found herself in a hallway, which led her past the office of the Dean of Medicine.

Curious to meet her boss's boss, she went into the reception area, and was stopped by a young woman behind a desk.

"Excuse me, do you have an appointment?"

"Well, no. I just wanted to meet the Dean. Today is my first day. I'm Dr. House's new fellow."

The woman's eyes grew wide. "You're a woman!"

The comment confused Cameron at first, but she quickly deduced from what little she knew about House that he wouldn't be one likely to hire a woman unless forced.

"You can go in. She doesn't have anyone in there right now, and she's not on the phone. I'm sure she'll want to meet you."

Cameron nodded her thanks, and knocked softly on the door. Not hearing a response, she opened the door a crack and peeked in.

A woman sat behind a desk, leaning over a stack of paperwork. She looked up and noticed Cameron.

"Can I help you with something?" She looked a bit frazzled, and Cameron had second thoughts about intruding.

"I…I just wanted to meet you. I'm Alison Cameron. Dr. House just hired me yesterday."

"Come in! I was expecting Dr. Wilson to come in here today what a failure the interviews were. I'm beyond thrilled that you're here! I've been trying forever to make him hire a woman, but he doesn't listen to anything except the little sexist voices in his head."

She took Cameron's hand in her own. "I'm Lisa Cuddy. If you need anything, come to me. Don't go to House. He won't do anything, I promise you that. And if you're having problems with House, come to me also."

"Should I anticipate problems?" Cameron's took on a look of worry.

"Not to scare you, but always expect the worst with House. If it happens, you won't be disappointed or hurt that it happened. It's a safety precaution. What's more, I know how it is to be one of the only women in a male dominated field. And I know House. Try not to let him or anything else get to you, but if it does, I'm here."

"Thank you," Cameron said, surprised at the support she was getting from the other woman.

"Don't mention it." She patted Cameron's hand and went back to her paperwork, signaling that the meeting was over. Cameron shuffled her feet, then cleared her throat quietly.

Cuddy looked up. "Was there something else you needed?"

"Yes. Where is diagnostics?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She gave Cameron directions and she was off again.

Minutes later, Cameron found herself standing in front of the door of the diagnostics department. She took a couple of deep breaths and steadied herself, feeling whatever confidence she'd woken up with slipping away, leaving only jitters behind. She reached for the door handle and found that her hand was shaking ever so slightly. She shrugged off the anxiety as best she could and stepped through the door.

She wasn't sure what she had expected, but it certainly wasn't an empty room. After meeting Dr. Cuddy, she wasn't so early anymore, so she had figured on at least one other person being there. She explored the room. There wasn't all that much to it, a table, chairs, whiteboard, coffee maker. Wanting to do something useful, she made a pot of coffee, realizing also, that she could use another cup.

While it was brewing, she went in search of a mug and found a few nearby. Choosing a red one, she poured herself a cup and sipped it at the table, musing as to when her coworkers would arrive. She looked at the clock. It was 15 after 8.

"_Don't be late…whatever_," she thought, recalling House's words. His words then made her think of him. More specifically, him staring at her every time she was in his visual field. She wondered if he stared at his other fellows like that. Somehow she doubted it. Most of her felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but a small part of her enjoyed the attention and wondered why she warranted it. He was either attracted to her, or he was trying to figure something out about her, as though if he stared at her long enough, it would pop out and smack him on the head. She couldn't decide which, but thinking about it hurt her head.

She then noticed the door on one side of the room. She put the red mug down on the table and walked over to it. She turned the handle. Locked. She went back to her purse and pulled out a bobby pin. She could get anything unlocked with one of those. She picked the lock quickly and swung the door open. House's office. It had to be.

She debated whether or not to go in, but in the end her curiosity won, and she stepped over the threshold and looked around. The first thing she noticed was the brightly colored oversized tennis ball on the desk. She picked it up and threw it in the air a couple of times before putting it back. Then the magic 8 ball caught her eye.

"Am I going to have a good first day?" She asked aloud, and gave it a few shakes.

She watched while the blue triangle came into view and proclaimed 'Not likely'.

"Oh, what do you know?" She replaced the ball, and went through the stacks of papers on the top of the desk. One thing was clear-he didn't do any paperwork. She could only guess who'd end up doing most of that. Her elbow nudged the mouse and his computer screen lit up, revealing a page of emails. Some hadn't been opened and had subjects implying help. She could only assume that these were people wanting to be seen by him. He was well known, after all. She tacked answering emails to the list of tasks she figured she'd be stuck with.

She also noticed emails from Wilson and Cuddy. Her eyes floated to one from Dr. Wilson, already read and replied to, the subject heading was her name.

She sat in the chair and clicked it open.

_House,_

_I just wanted to say that I think Alison was a good choice. Regardless of your reasons for hiring her, I think she'll be an asset to your team. Just judging from her CV, she's accomplished a lot. Give her a shot, and don't just use her as your own personal secretary. She's smart, and capable._

_JW_

She smiled as she read it. Wilson was proving to be a good friend already, and she'd only just met him. Curious again, she found his reply and opened it.

_Whatever. Like I said, she's only 1 out of 3. Think I __can __talk her into a boob job? Then she'll be 2 out of 3 anyway. Now, if she can make a good pot of coffee, she'll be perfect. She's too good looking to have all these accomplishments you go on about. Good looking people don't have to work hard. If she did, then there's another reason behind it, which I will find out. You can count on that._

Cameron made a face, then closed the email. She'd been warned about House, so she wasn't angry. Insulted, maybe, and a little hurt, but not angry. She'd just have to work harder to prove herself.

She practically jumped out of her shoes as a voice reached her ears.

"Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in here?"

**A/N: There you go!! I hope y'all liked it! Please R&R! I'd really appreciate any feedback.**


	3. the guys

**A/N: Hope you're all doing well. I am just continuously amazed by the response to this fic. I mean, wow! Thank you for all the support. It spurs me into updating more often, to be honest. Anyway, I'll shut up and get to the chap now! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: the guys**

Cameron whirled around at the computer and faced a man whom she assumed was one of her coworkers. She jogged her memory for the names Wilson had given her.

"Dr. Chase…or Dr. Foreman?"

"Seeing as you're the one who doesn't belong here, I'll ask the questions. Again, who are you?"

"I'm Alison Cameron, the new fellow," she said tentatively, suddenly feeling very shy.

The man smiled then, and held out his hand for her to shake.

"I'm Eric Foreman. Where is House anyway? If he caught you in here, he'd kill you."

"He's not here yet. I was the first."

"But I saw his coffee mug on the table. The red one?"

Cameron put a hand to her mouth. "That was the one I took for myself."

"Oh, boy, are you lucky I got here before him. If he's not here yet, how'd you get in here? He always locks it."

Cameron held up her bobby pin.

Foreman nodded approvingly.

"Come on." He led her out of the office, relocking it behind them. He went to the coffee mug and drained it, rinsing it out, and replacing it where she'd gotten it. Then he took two other mugs and poured coffee in them, holding one out to her.

Foreman took a sip. "This is great! We haven't had good coffee in here in awhile."

"Thank you. I have to admit, I had expected a harsher welcome."

"Yea, well, you'll have a hard enough time dealing with House. I don't want to add to that."

"I appreciate that. How long have you been working for him?"

"Long enough. I've seen two women quit, just because of House. After the second one left, he just didn't hire anyone else. Then, Cuddy made him hire a woman, which, I guess, is where you fit into all this."

They both looked up as the door opened, and a blonde man entered, juggling two Starbucks coffee containers.

"Hey Foreman, I brought us some-…" A puzzled expression crossed his face when he saw Cameron, then was replaced with a megawatt smile.

"Hello there. And you would be?" He went over to the table and sat down beside her, his eyes not leaving hers.

Foreman rolled his eyes.

"I'm Alison Cameron."

"Ah, the new fellow. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Robert Chase."

He put the coffee down, and took her hand, still smiling at her.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at him when he didn't let go of her hand. His smile didn't falter for a second.

"Maybe we could go out sometime, get better acquainted?"

She smiled at that, and extricated her hand, thinking, "_I bet that accent has worked on more than a few women, but it will not work on me_."

"Thank you for the offer, but we just met, and I'm not one to mix work and personal life."

His smile vanished for a split second, before reappearing, though it was less intense.

"Ok, how about the three of us go out for a beer later in the week, and make fun of House?"

"That's better. The beer, anyway."

"You'll want to make fun of him after a few days, take it from us," Chase said, and glanced at their coffee mugs.

"I guess you already have coffee. Is it drinkable?"

"Yea, it's great. Cameron's gonna be the designated coffee maker from now on," Foreman said.

Chase snagged a mug and poured himself some.

"Oh, god, that is good." He put the mug down and grabbed the Starbucks.

"I'll just donate these to some nurses or something. No sense in wasting it."

Once he'd left, Foreman gave her an approving look. "Good for you, resisting his Aussie charms like that."

"I mean it; I don't mix the aspects of my life. He seems like a nice guy though, but I can't make exceptions. It makes things too complicated."

"I said that too, but I've had a few relationships with people who work here, and they work out ok. They really do."

"Are you saying I should give him a shot?"

"No, all I'm saying is to keep an open mind. I mean, if the right person comes along, don't miss out on the chance just because he happens to work here. You never know what you could be missing out on."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the perspective."

Chase came back then, and glanced at the clock.

"He here yet?"

"Nope," Foreman replied.

"It's late, even for him. Think he's dead somewhere?" Chase asked.

Cameron gave him a look of surprise.

"What?! I'm not excluding any possibility."

"He's probably just stuck in traffic or something," Cameron said.

"Or he's harassing Cuddy or Wilson," Foreman put in.

They heard the door next to the conference room open and shut.

"Speak of the devil," Chase said.

House came through the adjoining door and plucked his red mug from its place without a word. Cameron breathed out, unaware that she'd been holding her breath.

From the second Foreman had mentioned that the mug was House's and had put it back, she'd been worried that he would notice. Luckily, it looked as though Foreman was very knowledgeable when it came to the correct location of the red mug.

He eyed the coffee pot critically. "Who made this?"

Cameron found herself raising her hand like a small child in a kindergarten classroom. "I did."

"New girl. Let's see." He poured himself a mug and took a trial sip.

"New girl is making coffee from now on. You two are not to do so much as touch the pot, under penalty of death. Today, we have no patient, so Chase and Foreman, to the clinic. Do your hours, and mine. New girl, I have charting that needs done. You can start with that." He disappeared in his office, and returned with a stack of charts that Cameron recalled seeing earlier.

Her two coworkers vanished out the door, heading to the clinic, House retreated back to his office, and Cameron was left at the table, alone, with the charts.

She got up and knocked on the office door. No answer. She tried again. And again. Frustrated, she opened the door a crack to find him bent over a PSP, and completely ignoring her presence. She strode nervously into the room until she was directly across from him. She cleared her throat quietly, and when he didn't so much as blink, she spoke.

"Dr. House?"

He paused the game and looked up, the annoyance at being bothered fading into that intense stare she was now getting used to seeing on him.

"Do you know how to chart?"

"Of course I do."

"Then why are you in here? Do you need step by step instructions? Some pictures, maybe?"

"I was just wondering if I could go to the clinic."

House rolled his eyes, and leaned back in the chair, un-pausing the game and returning his attention to it.

"Finish the charts. Then you can do whatever the hell you want. Just be available in case something comes up."

Cameron left and worked her way through the charts. After they were done, she made her way downstairs, and located the clinic. She checked in, and went to exam 3, where a mother and her little boy were waiting.

She was just finishing up, chatting with the mother about the Jersey winters and the prevalence of ear infections, when the door opened, and House came in. Cameron said her good-byes to the boy and his mother and looked at her boss.

"I paged you twice. I have more charts for you to do. I'm not going to come down and pluck you away from here or wherever you happen to be again. When I page you, you come. That's how it works. Understood?"

Cameron nodded. "But I've only seen this one patient, and…"

He cut her off. "How long have you been down here?"

"A half hour or so," she replied, her voice taking on the pitch it always did when she started to get emotional.

"A half hour, and you've only seen _one_ patient?! What do you do, get their life's story? Look, you're gonna be in here a lot, between my clinic hours and your own, so remember this. When you see a clinic patient, you greet, treat, and retreat, got it?"

"Huh?"

He sighed in exasperation. "You greet; hello, my name is blank, then, you treat; you have blank and I'm giving you a prescription for blank, last of all, you retreat; meaning you get the hell out of there, and move on to the next mindless blob."

"Ok," Cameron said, cursing to herself as she heard her voice shake.

"Now, get to my charting." He left, and Cameron waited for a minute to make sure she wouldn't be too close behind him before leaving the room, and heading for the elevator.

House made his way to Wilson's office and let himself in, crashing on the couch. Wilson looked up from his paperwork.

"Can't you ever knock?"

"Nope."

"I thought as much. How's Alison working out?"

"Who?"

"The one you hired yesterday."

"Oh, Cameron. She makes a good pot of coffee."

"That's it?"

"And she does my charting. She's handy. She takes a half hour to see a clinic patient, though."

"So, she's thorough. That's a good thing."

"She's not thorough. She likes to chat with patients."

"It's her first day. Cut her some slack. Let her get used to the way things around here, or, more appropriately, the way you say things should be done. I have a date with Jenn tonight."

"Who?"

"The girl I met on New Year's Eve, the one that came with Cameron."

"So?"

"So, I thought I'd tell you. Friends are supposed to care about what their friends are doing."

"What am I supposed to do, cheer for you?"

"No, you're supposed to acknowledge what I said, and tell me to have a good time."

"Ok, I acknowledge what you said, and I'm telling you to have a good time."

"There's more to it."

"What now?"

"I'm incredibly nervous."

"You? You've been on about a million dates."

"I know, but I like her, and I want it to work out between us."

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"I want you to come along, for moral support, or whatever it is you might give. A double date."

"What? No way!"

"Come on, please. It'll really help me out to have someone else there." He gave his best shot at a puppy dog face, and even whimpered a couple times.

"No."

"Please?"

"What's in it for me?"

"A date, for starters. And it's my treat. We're going to the Green Palm. It's a nice place, formal. You can get anything you want. Cost is no object, just come, please."

"Fine."

"Ok, round yourself up a date, which might take a while with you, and meet Jenn and I there at 7 tonight. And thank you. I appreciate it."

"Yea, yea, yea."

He got up and left Wilson's office, wondering who the hell he could tolerate enough to bring with him.

**A/N: Please, please R&R!! Thank you much in advance. I hope you liked it!**

"


	4. the pseudo date

**A/N: Ok, sorry for lack of updates! PLEASE R&R!!! And above all, enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: ****the pseudo-date**

As the day was winding down, Cameron grew more comfortable in her new surroundings. Although she had spent the bulk of the day doing her boss's charting, she had also made time to go exploring.

She had located the cafeteria and ate some lunch, joined by Foreman and Chase, and from there, went to each floor to see what was located where. It had been fun. She had met a lot of new people, and everyone seemed very nice and even sympathetic when she told them who she was working for.

At the end of her first day, she was at the conference table, hunched over the last of the charts, when House breezed in, glanced at her briefly as he went past, and went on to his office, only to emerge moments later, ready to leave for the day. He was mumbling to himself and had his hand on the doorknob when he paused and turned around, eyeing her at the table.

"New girl?"

She looked up.

He looked like he was about to say something to her, then seemed to change his mind. He went through the door and shut it behind him. Chase and Foreman came and left, and after cleaning up the table, Cameron was ready to go too, home to a book and a hot bath. She deserved both.

Wilson and Jenn arrived at the Green Palm to find House already there, which in Wilson's opinion, was nothing short of a miracle. His optimism about his friend's punctuality was quickly dashed when he also noticed that he was alone. He sat down across from him, Jenn taking the seat next to him, and eyed House.

"Couldn't you have at least dressed up a bit?"

House looked down at his jeans, t-shirt, and jacket. "I thought I was."

"You're not." Jenn said. She was wearing a blue floral dress and heels and Wilson was in a suit and tie.

"Please tell me she's just in the restroom." Wilson said pleadingly.

"Who?"

"Your date!"

"What date?"

"The one you were supposed to have!'

"Couldn't find one."

Wilson's shoulders slumped and he took a deep breath.

"Let me explain this to you, cause I don't think you've quite grasped the concept. This was supposed to be a _double_ date. In order for it to be a double date, there needs to be four people. There are only three people here. Which means it isn't a double date, it's a…I'm not even sure what this would be called."

"It would be called kinky." House said. Wilson looked confused, but Jenn, understanding what he was getting at, made a gagging noise.

"Actaully, it makes you a third wheel, which makes me feel bad, for some reason, even though the fact that you're a third wheel is your own fault." Wilson ran a hand through his hair.

"I've got an idea. I'll go call Ally, tell her to get over here," Jenn suggested.

"Oh, would you?" Wilson asked.

"Who?" House asked.

"Cameron," Wilson clarified.

"Although she might not want to, and I wouldn't blame her," Jenn said as she got up to go make the call. "You can't even remember her name, jerk."

"Bitch." House replied, as she headed off.

"House!" Wilson said.

"She started it."

"And it was justified. You are a jerk."

"She hurt my feelings."

"You don't have any."

House conceded the point, and went about perusing the drink menu, while Wilson hoped he'd have the patience to get through the evening.

Cameron was in her bathtub, soaking the day's stress away, when her phone rang. She reached over and opened it. "Hello?"

"Hey, honey, it's me."

"Hey! How's your date with Wilson going?"

"It hasn't really started yet. Look, he invited that jerk House along. He was supposed to bring a date, which of course he didn't and James feels bad cause he's a third wheel. You think you could come down here? I mean, not as his date necessarily, but just as another body?"

Cameron thought for a second. There went the night of relaxation.

"Sure, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you so, so much!" She hung up and went back to their table.

Cameron hauled herself out of the tub, wrapped a towel around her body, and trooped to her room to find an outfit to wear. She knew the Green Palm was pretty formal, which narrowed her choices down considerably.

She finally settled on the ever-reliable little black dress with some black heels, a necklace, and some earrings. She put her hair up in a loose ponytail, put on a little make-up, grabbed her purse, and headed out the door.

When she arrived, she looked around for Jenn. They made eye contact and she made her way over to the table, seating herself next to House, who didn't say a word to her.

"Thank you for coming, Alison, I really appreciate it," Wilson thanked her.

"Not a problem. Hello, Dr. House."

He appeared to see her then for the first time since she'd sat down. He still didn't say anything, but he stared at her with that usual look in his eyes. Then those eyes moved down, from her face to the low neckline of her dress. He took a breath, held it a moment, then let it out. Then he averted his gaze back to the menu.

Cameron shrugged her shoulders and looked at her own menu. She didn't want to get anything too expensive, but that wasn't much of an option. The cheapest thing on the menu was still over ten dollars. So, she settled on that. The waiter showed up a few minutes later and they all ordered. Jenn, like Cameron, had gone with the ten dollar item, while House got the most expensive thing and Wilson chose something in between.

While they were waiting for their dinner, Wilson whispered something to Jenn, who nodded. They got up and headed off to the dance floor, leaving Cameron alone with House.

She had no idea what to do. He was looking anywhere but at her, not even giving her that intense stare he usually did. The fact that he wasn't almost made her uncomfortable.

"Dr. House?"

His head snapped around until he was looking at her.

"I'm sorry I came. I mean, Jenn told me, and I didn't want Wilson to feel bad, and I just…I couldn't say no."

He didn't reply, just looked away again. He glanced over at Wilson and Jenn on the floor. The song ended, and a slower one played. He rolled his eyes once, grabbed his glass, drained it, then, without looking at her, held his hand out.

She looked at it, confused.

"What?"

He sighed. "I'm bored. We're dancing."

"Aren't you supposed to ask me, instead of ordering me?"

"Fine. Do you want to dance?"

"Yes, I would love to, but can you…dance?"

"I can stand and I can sway. Which is about all I'm willing to do. Now, come on."

She put her hand in his, and they went to the floor.

Wilson noticed them, and stopped long enough to stare.

"Quit gawking, Wilson."

Wilson averted his eyes almost immediately.

They stopped in a corner of the floor, and stood facing each other.

"I'm not gonna bite," he told her impatiently.

"Neither will I," she replied, noting that he wasn't touching her either.

She finally put her hand on his shoulder and took his hand, then felt his other hand go to her waist. They began to move, just swaying like he'd said, but to the rhythm of the music.

"If you even think about touching my ass, I'll file a sexual harassment suit so fast you won't know what hit you," she said pleasantly. He was her boss, after all, and she wasn't technically his date. She was just doing a favor for a friend. Better to set things straight now.

"No, you won't," he said.

"How do you know?"

"Because you're not like that."

"Again, how do you know?"

"Let's find out." His hand moved from her waist, and she gasped, but otherwise made no reaction.

"You can go file that suit now."

She sighed. "I like this job. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize it or do anything that would make things weird between us, which a lawsuit would certainly do."

"I knew it. You like the job, really?"

"Yes. Everyone's really nice, save you."

"How have I not been nice?" He still wasn't looking at her.

"I don't wanna get into it right now."

She looked at him. He honestly looked confused, as though he thought he'd extended every effort to be nice to her that day.

"You chewed me out, for one," she said.

"You were with _one _patient for a half-hour! How do you expect to anything done if you take that long with everyone?"

She thought for a moment. "You may be right, but there were other ways to let me know that."

She stopped talking, and listened to the music. It was a nice number, and it made her feel the relaxation she should have been feeling at home. She was tempted to put her head on his shoulder, but didn't. Once the song ended, she dropped his hand, and almost went back on her own, but in the end, she thought it would be rude, so she stayed with him and they went back to the table together.

Wilson and Jenn were already there. Their food was waiting for them as well, and the next part of the evening was taken up by eating and listening to Wilson and Jenn talk.

After they were all finished, Wilson paid the bill, turning down the money Cameron offered him. He left a tip and they all left together and stood out in the parking lot.

"Thank you again for coming, Alison," Wilson said, as Jenn hugged her friend good-bye.

"You're welcome. I had fun, and thank you for dinner."

"My pleasure." He and Jenn went to his car so he could drive her home, and Cameron found herself alone in the parking lot. House had vanished. She sighed and went to her car. She had it unlocked and was in the passenger seat before she noticed the paper underneath the windshield wiper. She got out again, and pulled it out, expecting some flier for the upcoming local elections.

It wasn't. It was a restaurant napkin with writing scrawled on it. She turned on her dome light and squinted at the handwriting.

_You look nice tonight. Don't read into it too much, just try and wear the low-cut stuff more often._

She rolled her eyes. If he'd stopped writing after the first sentence, it would have been a nice gesture. Instead, it was just crude, and typical. She tucked the napkin into her glove box, and started the car to go home.

**A/N: Not too much happening this chapter. Call it a filler, or something, I don't know. It's just there. Hope you liked it! **


	5. memories

**A/N: Ok, because of the continuing overwhelming positive response to this fic (thank you so much!) I'm going to update again! ****This is for sure filler, I think. ****Also, as most of you know, this was originally planned as a one-shot, which means that I have absolutely no idea where it's heading! I need ideas and input about plot!! Please!! If you have a suggestion or something you'd like to see in this fic, please send me a message. Thank you and enjoy! **

**Chapter 5:**** memories**

After she got home from the Green Palm, Cameron shut her car off and opened her glove box. She pulled out the napkin, and debated about what to do with it. Instead of throwing it away like a mature woman, she opted to keep it like a little schoolgirl with a valentine from a crush. She was embarrassed at the thought, but stuffed it into her purse anyway and went inside her apartment.

She called Jenn to make sure Wilson had made it to her place safely. The phone rang and rang but nobody picked up. The answering machine clicked on, and Cameron sat through the message, and when the machine beeped, she spoke.

"Hey, it's me. I just wanted to make sure you got home ok. I hope you're not having sex because you have work early tomorrow. Call me. Bye."

She sprawled out on her couch and pulled her purse close to her, her hand resting over the place where the napkin was. She pulled it out and looked at it, read it over and over again, then got up and went to her bedroom.

She got down on her hands and knees and reached under the bed, coming out with a shoebox. She sat cross-legged on the floor and put the box in her lap, taking the lid off and setting it next to her.

Inside was an assortment of papers, cards, and some dried flowers. She took one out at random. It had once been folded into a square so small, she had almost lost it upon first receiving it. She laid it out and read it over. She hadn't looked at it in years. It was from her sophomore year of high school. It was from a track star she'd had a crush on.

The letter ended with a simple 'let's be friends'. She recalled telling him her feelings, which had prompted him to write the note. She thought back to all the meets she'd attended, just to see him, and he hadn't even liked her back.

She replaced the note, and took out one of the cards. It was a birthday card, wishing her the best and 'all my love, Peter.' That one had been from senior year in high school. Peter had been her prom date. She wondered what had happened to him. He'd moved soon after graduation, and that had been it. She hadn't heard from him since.

Continuing her trip down memory lane, she opened another card, this one written in crayon in a childish scrawl. She smiled as she read the big loopy words.

'Alison, I lik you and I thinc you ar nice. From Tommy.'

That one had been from grade school. She couldn't recall when exactly, but from the spelling and simple language, it must have been 2nd or 3rd. She remembered Tommy though.

They'd played together at recess. He had gone off to college, majored in English, and was now teaching in Japan. She knew all this just because his parents and hers were good friends. She had his email.

"I should write to him again," she mused out loud before replacing the card. The next few papers she took out were love letters, written freshman year of undergrad school by the man she ended up marrying. She read these with tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them with her thumbs and put the notes back in the box. Then she took out a Valentine's Day card

She put the card back and placed the napkin inside the shoebox, wondering what it meant to her, now that she'd put it in there.

"Does it mean I like him or something?" She asked herself out loud.

"No, of course, it doesn't. It's just in there for the memory, is all. Never mind that everything in that box is from a guy I liked. This is different."

Once convinced of her intentions, she shoved the shoebox back under the bed, and got ready to go to bed. She shut off the lights and crawled under the covers, but found herself unable to go to sleep. She also found, to her horror, that she couldn't stop thinking about House.

Giving up on sleep, at least for the time being, she sat up in bed and had a conversation with herself.

"Ok, what brought this on? Why can't I stop thinking about him? Was it the note? No, that was awful. Maybe the dance? No, that wasn't so great either. Well, it could have been, but the conversation was bad. His hand on me felt good. It shouldn't have, but it did. On the other hand, any man's hand would have felt good. It's been forever since I've been touched."

She slipped into silence, thinking. Then it came to her.

"It's that look he keeps giving me. It's gotten to me. That's it. But I do not have feelings for him. I can't. One, he's my boss, it's wrong. Two, he's a jerk, definitely not my type." She nodded several times to affirm everything she'd just said.

House went home, changed clothes, drank a beer, and got in bed. He didn't want to, but the new girl wormed her way into his brain. She was trying too hard, that was obvious. The way she'd apologized for coming to the restaurant was pathetic. Why had she done that?

She had looked good. He recalled the note he'd written her telling her so, and wondered if she'd found it. Hopefully, she had, and would comply by wearing something sexy to work the next day. The next day. She would be there tomorrow. Not like her predecessors. She could convince herself with time that he respected her and valued her for her mind and ideas, but it would never be true. She would never be a doctor who just happened to be a woman to him. She would always be a woman who just happened to be a doctor.

She'd told him she liked the job, which had been a first. The other women who had left hated it, hated him, and no one who had ever worked for him had ever told him they actually liked the job. To him, this proved that she wasn't going anywhere. He had told Cuddy time and time again that he couldn't work with women, and it seemed they couldn't work with him either.

To be honest, he'd been sure she'd leave on her own, like the others. Especially after he'd told her off in the clinic. He should've been more forceful. He'd wanted an emotional breakdown, followed by a resignation. Her voice had shook, but she hadn't so much as cried.

Worst of all, she was curious about him. He could tell whenever he looked at her that her mind was working, trying to figure him out, convinced that no one was the way he was without some terrible tragedy or past abuse. He didn't like that. If anyone was going to figure anyone out, he would figure her out, not the other way around.

But, she wasn't going anywhere on her own, which left one other option.

Cameron crashed down onto her pillow, determined to stop thinking before her brain exploded. She closed her eyes, and was then jolted into a sitting position by her phone ringing. Expecting Jenn returning her call, she flipped the phone open, and said, "Please tell me you weren't having sex with Wilson. You have such an early morning tomorrow, you'll be dead on your feet if you did."

There was a pause on the other line.

"As fascinating as Wilson is, I'd sooner have sex with a rabid rhinoceros. And, I never have early mornings."

Cameron gasped audibly as she recognized House's voice on the other end.

"Dr. House, I'm sorry, I thought you were Jenn, I…" she stammered.

He cut her off. "Cut it out. I just called to tell you to not bother coming in tomorrow, or ever."

He hung up, and Cameron was left holding the phone to her ear, listening to the silence on the other end, in total shock at what she'd just heard.

"Did you just…fire me?" She asked out loud, even though there was no one to hear her.

**A/N: Please review!! That's all I have to say. I don't know when I'll be able to post next. Hopefully soon. Thank you everyone! **


	6. phone call

**A/N: I won't say much, cause I haven't updated in awhile. Thank you all for ****R&Ring****. I appreciate it a ton! Keep it up pretty please. Enjoy!** **Thanks also**** to ****CameronSister**** for giving me thoughts on how this should pan out. **

**Chapter 6:****phone call**

Cameron sat there on her bed, the phone still up to her ear for a few minutes, hoping to hear House's voice again, telling her it was all a big joke and he'd see her tomorrow. Of course, this didn't happen. She let the phone drop onto the bed, and bit her lower lip to keep from crying.

She failed at this, and she felt the warm tears roll down her cheeks. What had she done? She went over every minute of her day, from the time she'd first set foot inside the hospital, to the minute she'd stepped outside to leave for the day. She couldn't find anything she'd done wrong, save the incident at the clinic, and that was certainly up for debate.

She took a deep breath, and regained control over her emotions. She couldn't just let it go. She wanted this job, plus it would look terrible on her CV that she'd gotten fired after only 1 day. She considered calling Dr. Cuddy, but hesitated at accepting the woman's offer for help. She had to deal with things, things meaning House, on her own. She couldn't depend on anyone else.

She reached for her phone, and found his number in the calls received list. She heard it ringing, and bit her lower lip again in nervousness, stopping when she tasted blood. He probably wouldn't answer anyway. She was wrong. He picked up, and said, "What?"

She swallowed, and replied, "Dr. House, why did you fire me?" She closed her eyes and clapped a hand to her forehead. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I fired you because I don't want you working for me. I figured that was obvious."

"But, I didn't do anything wrong today! Give me another chance." Now, she was begging. She shouldn't have called. She was making a fool of herself.

"Why?" She could practically see that smug self-satisfied look on his face.

She was no good at this. She hated dealing with people over the phone, and the fact that it was him made it about a million times worse. Then she remembered his note, and could only think of one thing.

"Look, the only way you're ever going to see me in anything low-cut ever again is to keep me on the team." It was really the only leverage she had, and she hated to use it. It was playing right into his sexist tendencies. Plus, she was basically objectifying herself, telling him to keep her on because then she'd dress sexy and he could get his rocks off. But, she didn't have much choice. She was desperate.

There was silence on the other end of the line. She could almost hear him thinking. After an agonizing moment or two, he made a noise in his throat, and said, "I'll get by. Cuddy'll make me hire another woman and she'll quit after a day or two like a good little girl."

Cameron felt her mouth fall open at that.

"Wait a minute! You fired me cause I didn't quit today!? You…you…" She couldn't get the last word out, and he chose that moment to hang up on her. She angrily hit the call button again on her phone. This time, he didn't pick up, and she got his voice mail.

"Bastard!" She finished her sentence, and shut her phone off, flinging it across the bed in a sudden fit of rage. Her anger didn't last as long as she'd wanted it to. She wanted to be angry, angry forever. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to find out where he lived, go over there, and beat him to a pulp with his own cane.

But she couldn't stay mad. Not at him. The one person in the world who deserved her anger, and she couldn't stay angry. His face stayed in her mind, his eyes haunting her, and she felt her anger melting away, leaving only sadness at the thought that she'd lost a job she liked, and that she'd never see him again.

But, did it have to be that way? She couldn't believe that was just it. She decided that she wasn't done fighting for her job. Perfectly calm now, she went over her options. She still wanted to handle this herself, but decided that she should at least tell Dr. Cuddy what had happened, just in case she couldn't resolve it all alone.

She couldn't understand it. The fact that she hadn't run screaming for the hills after her first day should have been a positive thing, all the more reason to keep her around. She recalled how he'd acted toward her all day. Besides making her his personal secretary and griping at her in the clinic, he hadn't treated her that bad. Certainly hadn't left any indication that he'd fire her. And why had he called tonight? Why not call her in the morning, or wait until she'd made the drive in to work? He seemed like type of person who would relish firing someone in person to see their reaction.

All the analyzing left her confused, and she realized how late it was. She knew one for sure, she was going into work tomorrow. She'd go in and act as though nothing had happened. She nodded resolutely and closed her eyes, figuring she should at least attempt to get some rest.

House hung up the phone after firing Cameron, and ran his tongue over his lips, wondering if maybe he should have waited until morning to fire her. No, better that it was out of the way now. Now he didn't have to think about it anymore. She was probably crying over it now. He felt a little bad for her for about a quarter of a second, then shrugged it off.

If she had been normal, she would have quit on her own, and he wouldn't have had to fire her. In a way, she had brought it on herself. Quitting would have been better for her. Firing didn't look good on a CV. But if she was half as good as Wilson kept saying she was, she'd be fine. And he'd never have to see her again. She'd hate him for firing her and wouldn't want to be within 50 yards of him.

His phone rang and he looked at the number, recognizing it as Cameron's cell number. What did she want? He debated whether to answer it, but his curiosity won out, and he opened his phone and said, "What?"

He heard her swallow, and then she asked the dumbest question in the universe, wanting to know why he'd fired her. Duh. He rolled his eyes, and explained in small words that he didn't want her working for him anymore. She then began begging for another chance, which he found pathetic, but nonetheless, something new. No one had ever asked him for another chance before. It was refreshing. And it gave him power over her. He felt a grin come to his lips.

"Why?" he asked. Her answer should be interesting. It wouldn't change his mind, he was sure nothing could.

She brought up that note. So she had found it. He wondered what she'd done when she'd read it. Her reaction would have been amusing. She was probably offended. She'd most likely tossed it in the trash. And now, she was using it to get her job back. To try, anyway.

That was slightly admirable. He knew by her choice of work clothes and her attitude that she wanted more than anything to be treated with respect and not as a sex kitten. And now, here she was, going against what she stood for. She really wanted her job back. Still, he'd made his decision. She could have offered to come to work naked, and it wouldn't have mattered.

He told her he would get by and that the next woman he was forced to hire would quit like the rest, the good little girls. Cuddy would throw a fit and make him hire someone else, and…he still couldn't remember her first name…Cameron would be forgotten, just another woman who couldn't handle him, when, in fact, maybe, the opposite was true.

He shook his head. No. He could handle her, he could handle any woman. She was no different. Then he pictured her at the restaurant, the dress hugging her body, her hair looking so very soft, her eyes shining when they went out on the dance floor. Thinking about all this almost made him have doubts of his ability to handle her. He shook his head firmly. He could handle anyone, especially (he knew her first name began with a K…didn't it?) Cameron.

He noticed then that she wasn't saying anything to his last comment. He thought for a second that she had hung up but then he heard her breathing. She raised her voice, concluding that he'd fired her just because she hadn't quit (if only it had been that simple) and then was set to call him something, but couldn't get the last word out. He decided then that he'd enough and hung up on her before she could finish.

He heard his phone ring again moments later and let voicemail pick it up. It was probably her again. He stared at the phone and then checked the message. He held the phone away from him as the word 'Bastard' exploded in his ear and that was it. He shut the phone off in case she harassed him with more phone calls, and went to bed. Mission accomplished. She hated him. He'd never see her again.

**A/N: Please leave reviews! Thank you for reading. I hoped you liked this one. I thought I'd try to get both their thoughts and points of view on the conversation in. Cameron's so much easier to write than House, but I hope I did ok with it.**


	7. back to work

**A/N: Extra time plus reviews equals more updates!! Thank you for all the support; it's needed and much appreciated. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 7: back to work**

When Cameron awoke the next morning to her alarm clock, the resoluteness she'd possessed the night before had melted away, leaving only apprehension and second thoughts in its place. She had begun to think that she should just go quietly into the night, so to speak, find another position, and move on. She wondered if Dr. Flint's offer was still good.

The more she thought, though, the more she realized that she wanted to keep this job. If she just let it go, she'd regret it for the rest of her life. Plus, House had to learn that not everyone was a pushover. She certainly wasn't. Well, maybe she was, but not about this. She could do it.

She got out of bed, showered, and swung her closet door open. She eyed each piece of clothing individually; shoving it aside if it wasn't what she was looking for. She wanted to look absolutely stunning. She hadn't been lying last night when she'd implied she'd dress sexier if she could keep her job, and since, well, she was acting like she still had it, she'd keep her word. Plus, it couldn't hurt to encourage his piggish tendencies just a bit, if it got the desired result.

"_And it's just for today_," she told herself.

She felt like she was backed up into a corner, forced to bring out the big guns. She didn't have a lot to choose from that looked both sexy and professional. She didn't want to look like a hooker or anything. She ended up choosing a pair of slacks that were a little tighter than she liked them to be for work, and a semi-sheer blouse with the top buttons undone, showing enough to be sexy without crossing that fine line into skankville.

She put her hair up in a loose ponytail with a few strands out, framing her face. She carefully applied her make-up and checked herself in the mirror. Not bad. She grabbed her purse, and left for work.

She stopped at Dr. Cuddy's office before heading to Diagnostics, and the two women had a little chat. Cameron told her what had happened. She was about ready to go deal with House right away, but Cameron reminded her of the time (no way he'd be in yet) and explained that she wanted to deal with it herself; she just wanted to know that she had the Dean's support.

House forced himself out of bed a couple of hours after Cameron had woken up. He showered, grabbed the first articles of clothing his fingers touched, and after dressing, left for the office, knowing that he'd have only Foreman and Chase to deal with that day, and, hopefully, every day after that.

He could forget whatshername even existed. Whatshername, who had the guts to call him back last night, demanding to know why she'd lost her job, who could do his charting faster than Foreman and Chase ever could, who stayed in his mind's eye as the girl in the black dress, who had agreed to dance with him. The girl who looked at him with pure and innocent eyes that made him want to become someone he wasn't, anyone, just as long as it was someone who she'd want to stay with her forever. Cameron, Alison Cameron. The name he could never forget, that he never had, to be honest. The name he wanted more than anything to forget.

He shook his head several times as though to clear the thoughts out. He'd fired her. He'd done the right thing. He'd saved himself. And that was that. He opened the door to the conference room, and there she was, sitting there with Chase and Foreman, as though she hadn't been fired.

Cameron left the office with the assurance of Cuddy's support if things didn't go in her favor. She walked to the elevator with a confident air about her, and walked to the conference room straight and tall. She opened the door and breezed past Foreman and Chase, who were eagerly awaiting a pot of coffee. She put the pot on and sat down, looking at each in turn for their reaction to her showing up.

"What?" Foreman asked.

"You look great!" Chase contributed.

They didn't know. Well, of course they didn't. Why had she thought they would?

"Thank you, Chase."

"Do you think maybe…" he cut himself off before he could finish asking her out, remembering her response the previous day.

She was trying to decide whether to tell them she'd been fired, but before reaching a decision, House strode in, did a double take, and began counting heads.

"Let's see here. 1…2…3? Which of these things is not like the others, which of these things just doesn't belong?"

They just stared.

"Well? Come on, first one to answer gets a cookie."

They eyed each other, Cameron feeling extremely self-conscious all of a sudden.

"I'll give you a hint. She has long hair, pointy shoes, breasts…must I continue?"

"Cameron?" Chase asked, puzzled.

"Good job Chase! Your mother would be proud!" House clapped for him and tossed him an old cookie from his pocket, which Chase threw in the trash the second it touched his hand.

He headed to his office, then glanced over his shoulder.

"Fired girl, in my office. Now."

Cameron stood up and took a calming breath, walking slowly to his office, leaving a shocked looking Chase and Foreman in her wake.

"Did he just say she was fired?" she heard Foreman ask as she closed the door behind her.

She stood just inside the room, trying to hold her head up high in order to portray confidence, but it felt like it weighed a ton and her neck was having a hard time keeping it from dropping down. Her eyes darted around the room, not wanting to look at him.

For his part, he was completely focused on her. Well, her chest and her legs mostly, but they were still parts of her anyway.

"I know what you're doing. You figured you'd waltz back in here like nothing happened, and if you dressed trampy, I'd take you back with open arms. Well, think again. You're out of here. I didn't think I could have been any clearer on that point."

To her credit, she didn't burst into tears and run out the door. She just swallowed and licked her lips before replying.

"I'm not going anywhere. You didn't have any justification to fire me whatsoever. And until you do, I'm staying." She had hoped her statement would come out firm and confident, but instead it came out fearful and shaky. She could feel her hands shaking as well, so she folded her arms across her chest to convey her stubbornness in the situation and so he wouldn't see her hands.

He stood up and crossed the room until he stood in front of her. Then he copied her posture and stance exactly, folding his arms, and staring at her in his usual manner. She felt somewhat comforted by the look he gave her, as it was different to the one he'd given her when she'd first entered.

He stepped closer to her, and closer, until she found herself backing up. This continued until she felt the door against her back. She felt her breathing quicken at the close proximity. He leaned down until they were eye-to-eye. For an intense moment he just looked into her eyes. Cameron was confused. What was he doing? For a fleeting moment, she thought he might kiss her. He could clearly recall the taste of his lips on hers at the New Year's party. It was a taste she found herself hungry for again. When their faces were mere inches from each other, he opened his mouth.

"Get. Out."

That said, he backed off, and went back to his chair, leaving her against the door, slightly out of breath from the sheer intensity of the encounter. She tried to walk, but found that her legs felt like jello and wouldn't support her, so she just stayed where she was, hoping that she could still string together intelligible sentences. His gaze and his body against hers had left her feeling incredibly weak, her mind a blob of mush, a thought which was maddening.

"Fine, you win, I'll go. But only if you tell me why you really fired me." She was going out on a limb here. She had sworn she had seen something akin to desire in his eyes when he'd stared at her so closely a moment ago. If she hadn't been imagining things, then it could explain why he'd fired her. He liked her, and didn't want to deal with it.

"I don't need to explain myself to you…again. If you don't remember or can't figure anything out for yourself, then that's your problem, not mine." He wasn't even looking at her now, his back turned to her.

"Then no deal. I'm staying." She kept her arms crossed, feeling her whole body clench as she did so. She wasn't moving from that spot.

He spun around in his chair to face her again, and she could tell immediately that he was clenched too, his arms folded as he regarded her standing there.

"Why do you want to stay?" he asked her finally.

"Because I like this job," she said plainly, honestly.

"Come on! You spent the entire day doing my paperwork, my charts. You only saw one patient! You should be thanking me for liberating you!"

"And yet I'm not. I want this job. I want to keep it. And I did those things yesterday because I was helping. I became a doctor to help people. Not just patients, but everyone. Yesterday, I was helping you. You may think it was just menial work and that I'd resent it, but I didn't. I felt productive and I got a lot done yesterday, clinic patient aside. And as much as I want to work on cases with Chase and Foreman, if you think my time is best spent doing what I did yesterday, that's fine. But, I want a chance to try everything, to prove that I can do a lot of different things before I get pigeon-holed into one thing only."

He smirked when she used the phrase 'pigeon-holed' but otherwise she saw no reaction during her little speech.

Silence reigned and Cameron shuffled her feet back and forth, cursing herself when she noticed that her eyes had drifted to her shoes.

When she lifted her head again, he had turned away from her, and she heard the tell-tale beeping noises of a video game.

She reached behind her for the doorknob, admitting defeat. He heard the door as it clicked open and as she shut it behind her, his voice reached her ears.

"You've got one week to change my mind."

She pumped her fist in the air in silent victory. Finally, a real shot at proving herself. And she'd done it without Dr. Cuddy or anyone else.

House stared at his video game, not really playing it, instead thinking that he had one week to stop liking her, or she was truly gone. And, deep down, he didn't want that to happen.

**A/N: Pretty, pretty please review! I'm not trying to be annoying, it just gives me inspiration to update more often. Hope you liked this chap, cause I do! And I'm still in need of suggestions, so if ya want something included, let me know!**


	8. the correct diagnosis

**A/N: I'm suffering major writer's block on this fic, which is why the lack of updates. I want so much to keep it in character, and it's taking more time to think. Anyway, here it is! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8:**** the correct diagnosis**

When Cameron shut the door behind her, flush with her victory and the close encounter with House shortly before, Chase and Foreman were both looking at her, concerned.

"What happened in there?" Chase asked.

"Yea, I could have sworn he said something about you being fired," Foreman added.

"He said nothing of the sort. I'm not fired. Lunch?" She walked out of the door without waiting for an answer, her hips swaying slightly as she went.

Foreman and Chase shrugged at each other, and then followed her out.

"I was sure I heard him say…" Foreman began.

"Me too," Chase interrupted. "But if he did, she'd be gone, right?"

"Yea, that's true. She doesn't stand a chance against him. He told her she was fired, she'd be out of here, crying or something," Foreman agreed.

"I don't know if I agree with you there. She's stronger than she seems, I think."

They found her already at a table with a grilled chicken salad when they arrived, and they got in line, got their own lunches, and joined her.

"I _know_ he said something about you being fired. Now give it up; what happened in there?" Foreman was insistent.

"He wanted to fire me; I took care of it. It's as simple as that."

"Nothing with House is simple. What did you do?" Chase asked.

"I merely stated that he had no reason to fire me, made a convincing argument, and he relented."

Neither man believed her for a second, but they decided not to press the issue. Cameron wasn't going to tell them any different.

They ate their lunches, conversation ranging from various patients to their interests outside of work. Chase even made another attempt to ask Cameron out. She hesitated for a second before shooting him down.

He was a nice guy, but these things could get so complicated, and she wasn't looking for complications right now. She had enough to deal with at the moment. Plus, she couldn't go out with Chase when she spent so much time thinking about her boss. It wasn't fair to Chase.

Speaking of her boss…Her thoughts went back to earlier in his office, when he'd had her backed up against the door. She'd been so sure he was going to kiss her, and she had to admit, she wasn't normally wrong about things like that. She stopped with a forkful of salad halfway to her mouth. Maybe he had wanted to, but had held off for whatever reason. The fork went the rest of the way into her mouth, and she thought about this possibility as she chewed. Interesting thought, but it was probably wrong. Or was it? She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. Why did she always get so confused whenever she thought about him?

She looked up to find Foreman and Chase looking at her, as though expecting her to say something. She glanced from one to the other.

"What?"

"We asked if you were ready to head back," Foreman supplied.

"Oh, yea, I'm ready. Sorry, I was just thinking…about…something." She stood up and carried her tray to the trash can, Foreman and Chase following her.

The trio made their way back to the conference room, only to find a patient file waiting for them on the table, and House busy writing symptoms on the whiteboard. Chase and Foreman glanced at the symptom list and the file. They shared a look, but chose not to say anything.

"Sit down, all of you. Differential diagnosis time and this one's all Cameron's."

"Why all mine? I thought we were a team."

"You're the only one who's setting out to prove yourself to me. Chase and Foreman had their chances and failed miserably. Now, it's your turn to fail." He smiled at her smugly and sat down at the table.

Cameron pulled the file over to her, and read through it. House waited, glancing at his watch from time to time. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then thought better of it. It sounded like tularemia, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions until she was reasonably sure. She mulled the different possibilities around in her head, aware of House's constant stare.

She read the patient history over and over again. She had to get this right. It was some kind of test. If she were wrong, then she'd lose points or whatever system he was using to evaluate her this week. Finally, she closed the file, and sat it down in front of her. She lifted her eyes to meet House's, matching his stare with her own.

She couldn't decide if he was giving her a 'you better get this right, or you're an idiot forever, albeit a sexy one' stare or an 'I'm mentally undressing you with my eyes, and it's all good' stare. He was a bit hard to read, and she could only hope that she was just as difficult to read to him. Certainly she was to herself. She wasn't sure what kind of stare she was giving him.

She opened her mouth and spoke in what she hoped was a confident tone. "I think it's tularemia. All the symptoms match and the patient history agrees with that diagnosis."

House stood up, and pointed his cane at Foreman and Chase. "Go do the tests to confirm." The two men left. He looked at Cameron. "There are charts to be done. I'll let you know the test results." He exited the conference room for his office, and Cameron looked at the pile awaiting her.

It was a start. At least she'd played a part in a diagnosis. Well, the whole diagnosis. And now, in a step backwards, she was back to charting. She allowed herself a grin. One step at a time. No one said it would be easy, after all. She had been anticipating a challenge. She made herself comfortable and worked on the first chart.

When Chase and Foreman closed the door behind them, they looked at each other.

"What are we supposed to do? I mean, we diagnosed and treated that case months ago. I don't get it," Chase said.

"I think it was supposed to be a test for Cameron. And she passed. That was the right diagnosis."

Chase chuckled. "I bet that pissed him off, too. I bet he wanted her to fail."

"So, what do you wanna do?" Foreman asked.

"Let's hang out in the oncology lounge for a bit. I bet Dr. Wilson wouldn't mind." Foreman nodded in agreement and the two headed off.

House shut the door to his office and sat down in his chair, twirling his cane in front of him. She'd gotten the correct diagnosis. Part of him was impressed that she'd done it so quickly on her own, but the other part of him was angry. He should have given her a more difficult case. If she'd failed, it would have counted against her, and added to his case of why she should be fired. Now, in all fairness, he had to give her the points.

He sighed. She wasn't going to be easy to get rid of. But, no one had said this was going to be easy. He'd given her a week, and there was still plenty of time to build a solid case against her. If she would only cooperate.

He thought back to when they were in his office before, and he'd backed her up to the door. He had thought briefly about kissing her, since she was so close, and he had been wanting to do it again since New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, he was irritated with her at the same time, and wanted her to leave more. So, it hadn't happened.

It was probably just as good. If he had kissed her, it might be even harder to give her the heave-ho. It would cement his attraction to her, and let her know how he felt on top of it. He wasn't going to make it that easy for her to figure out. It would bad for him. He leaned back and waited for Foreman and Chase to return so he could share her correct diagnosis with her.

**A/N: Kind of a bad chap, and I'm sorry for it, but at least I updated, right? Please R&R! Thank you!!**


	9. keep away

**A/N: ****I thought I should update this since it's been awhile, so here I am. Always nice to find a quiet moment to type. I think I need new episodes of House soon for inspiration!! April is just too far away at this point. Anywho, I'll be quiet now so you can get to reading.**** Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9: ****keep away**

Cameron spent several hours that afternoon obediently completing charts. Chase and Foreman had returned, going through House's office instead of directly into the conference room, which she found was a little odd. She was eager to hear the test results, to find out if she had been correct.

The two men entered the conference room then, with House following behind. He gave her that mind-numbing stare, and then ambled past her to the coffee pot. He poured himself a mug and informed her in as few words as possible that she had come up with the correct diagnosis.

She resisted the urge to jump up and do a victory dance, instead taking the more mature route and simply nodding her head in acknowledgement, her mouth upturned in a satisfied smile. His eyes hadn't left her as she did this; no doubt gauging her reaction. She had a feeling her eyes gave her away. When she was pleased with herself, it showed in her eyes.

After averting her focus for a moment or two, she returned his gaze, and found much the same look in his eyes that she imagined must be in her own. He was pleased about something. She couldn't figure out what, but it had sat uneasily with her for a time. After he had retreated back to his office, Chase and Foreman headed down to the clinic, leaving her alone.

She was determined to find out why he had looked so smug earlier. It obviously had something to do with the case she'd diagnosed. That had been her achievement; her own. So why did she feel like he was under the impression that he'd had something to do with it? What wasn't he telling her?

Her mind made up, she went outside and stood in front of his office. She peeked in through the glass door and noted that he was asleep, his feet propped up on the desk. She went back in and entered his office through the conference room door because it appeared to be quieter. She tiptoed to his desk, and began to sift through its contents. She didn't see the case file anywhere.

She continued her digging, wincing every time the sound of paper ruffling reached her ears. She glanced over at him continually, just to make sure he wasn't awake. It had to be in the drawer. She moved around to the back of the desk, standing just to his right. She opened the drawer, and began rifling through the various papers stacked there. She was about ready to give up after not discovering what she had been looking for, when a hand clamped tightly around her wrist.

She gasped. The hand released her, and she whirled around to find House with the coveted case file in his hand.

"Looking for this?"

"Yes," she said, unashamed at her actions. She reached out to grab it, but he pulled it out of her reach.

"I don't think so. While I admire your underhanded tactics, this is not the best way to get on my good side."

"You have one?" she retorted, not thinking before she spoke.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively, and Cameron hoped that her face conveyed disgust, because her mind was wondering at all the things she'd like to do to him in order to find out if a good side existed. She wiped the thoughts from her mind as soon as they entered. Now wasn't the time for a gutter mind. She shouldn't think such things anyway. There were a million things wrong with thinking about things like that.

Instead of verbally replying, she made another attempt to grab at the file, which he was holding away from her, leaning back in his chair. She reached as far as she could, which resulted in her losing her balance and falling forward, her arm stretched above her and colliding with his as she fell. She grabbed his wrist to keep from going all the way on top of him, leaving her face mere inches away from his.

She kept her grip on his wrist, but inched her hand farther up his, still trying to get the file, her eyes not wavering from his. His face was unreadable, that is, until she detected a smirk form on his lips. That should have been her warning. He twisted his wrist suddenly, and swept her feet out from under her with his foot at the same time, causing her to fall the rest of the way on top of him, the file still in his grip above his head.

Her head was buried in his shoulder and she stayed that way for a moment, allowing herself to calm down, lest she do something to him that could land her in prison. She took several deep calming breaths, inhaling the scent of him as she did so. It had an odd calming effect on her, despite the fact that she was furious with him. She closed her eyes, breathing him in one more time, and immediately chastising herself for the extra indulgence.

She put her hands on his chest and pushed herself upright, glaring at him as she did so. He still had that infuriating smirk on his face, the file taunting her with its proximity. She evened her face out, putting a more neutral expression on in place of the glare, and smoothed her clothes.

"That was very immature," she commented, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

"And breaking into my office to get a file wasn't?"

"I didn't break in. It was unlocked." She folded her arms across her chest, her nose in the air.

She seemed to lose him then, as his eyes traveled to her chest where her breasts were pushed up by her folded arms. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then his focus returned back to her face.

"Why do you want to look at it anyway? I told you that you were right."

"You know something I don't, and the answer is in that file. If I'm going to be a part of this team, then I want to be informed like everyone else."

"What makes you think I know something you don't?"

She was silent a moment before answering. How could she say that she could look into those eyes and see all kinds of things about him? That she was learning quickly to read his facial expressions and posture, while at the same time, hoping that he wasn't doing the same thing with her?

She opted for the dumb, universal answer. "I just know. And I'm right aren't I? There's something you're not telling me."

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out."

"What would it take for me to find out?" She shouldn't be asking, leaving it open ended like that. Who knew what he'd come up with.

He thought for a minute or two, his tongue running along his lower lip. It was a subconscious gesture, something he most likely wasn't even aware of, but she was very aware. She wanted those lips on hers again, that tongue in her mouth. She took a breath to steady herself, and mentally slapped herself, drop kicking all the gutter thoughts out of her head.

"Flash me," he said simply.

Had she heard him right?

"Excuse me?!"

"Flash me."

She_ had_ heard him right. She supposed she shouldn't be altogether surprised, considering how his eyes kept lingering on her chest. Her mind worked quickly.

"And you'll give me the file?"

"That's the deal."

"Ok," she said simply.

She pushed his chair back against the far wall, and stood in front of him, noting that he was still holding the file aloft. She steadied herself and began slowly unbuttoning her blouse. She saw his eyes darken with what was clearly lust, and she smiled to herself. Men were all the same. She stopped before unbuttoning the last button.

"You ready?" she asked playfully.

He nodded, surprised that she had actually agreed to do this, when she could have just as easily slapped him with a sexual harassment suit.

She ran her tongue over her own lips, much as he had done earlier, except she was fully aware that she was doing it. Her fingers moved to the last button, getting ready to unbutton it.

However, at the last second, her fingers deviated from the button and she leaped up and yanked the file out of his hand. His grip had loosened on it as he became more and more distracted by her unbuttoning. She pulled her top closed around her and ran, literally ran, out of his office, not stopping until she was safely in the stairwell, and halfway down a flight, a place where she was sure he could not follow.

Triumphantly clutching her prize in both hands, she opened it, and noticed right away what it was that she didn't know about the case. It had been diagnosed, the patient successfully treated and discharged, months ago. She nodded her head up and down, understanding. He'd been testing her, a trial period before letting her have a shot at the real thing. She had passed.

She put the file down on the stair next to her, and wondered why he had been so adamant about her not seeing it. It couldn't be because he thought her feelings would be hurt, that she'd be sad that he didn't trust her enough with a current case. No, it was something else. Most likely, he just didn't want her to know, plain and simple.

She sighed, picked up the file, and checked the time. It was time to head home anyway. She went back up to the conference room, relief flooding through her when she noticed he had already left for the day. She set the file on the conference room table, grabbed her things, and headed for the door, eager to get home and wash the day away in her bathtub.

**A/N: I hope you liked this chap. I didn't like it at first, but as my thoughts for it grew, so did my opinion of it. Please R&R!!**


	10. Wilson's intervention

**A/N: Yay, we've hit a milestone! Chapter 10! Well, I'm excited. My little one-shot is growing up! Yea, I'm lame, but that's ok. Sorry for the lack of updates. I blame it on a lack of inspiration. Enjoy!!**

**Chapter 10: Wilson's intervention**

After Cameron raced out of the office, file clutched tightly in her hand, House leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk.

"Clever," he said out loud. And bold. He liked that. He liked that a lot. It showed that, although she knew her place in the hierarchy, she was prepared to overstep that to get what she wanted, to go any lengths she had to. Although, it still would have been nice if she'd flashed him. Just a quick little peek. He wasn't going to be picky at that point.

The act had earned her bonus points in his mind, if points were, in fact, what he was using to score her with. He wasn't even sure. Either way, it had been underhanded and was to be commended. He moved her up a notch towards the 'keep her around' end of the spectrum.

He looked at the clock on his computer screen. Not quite time to leave, but he didn't feel like sticking around in case she came back. He wasn't sure what he'd say to her anyhow. So, he got up and ambled to Wilson's office.

He walked in without knocking and sat down in the chair in front of Wilson's desk.

"Are you capable of knocking? You know, just in case I was with a patient, or in the middle of something important?"

"No, I'm not capable. And if I were, I still wouldn't. You need more of an open door policy. Makes you seem more open and accommodating."

"What's up?"

"Cameron. She almost flashed me and stole a case file."

"Would this be the already solved case that you were using to test her abilities?"

"How'd you know?"

"Your minions were in here earlier, killing time, and the subject came up."

"Remind me to give them 40 lashes…each."

"Why are you doing this to her? You know she's talented, and she knows her stuff, so why mess with her?"

"Because I can."

"You can, but there's more to it than that, isn't there?"

"Is there?"

"I think so."

"So let's hear your brilliant theory."

Wilson put down the pen he was using to update the chart in front of him, and folded his hands on the desk, looking at House.

"It is my firm belief that you have feelings for Alison that go beyond boss/employee, and you are lashing out at her because you don't have the slightest idea how to express those feelings _and_ you're scared at what she's making you feel. It freaks you out that you care about her. You're like the little kid who pushes the girl down in the sand and pulls her pigtails because he likes her."

"My god, you know me so well!" House said snarkily, rolling his eyes as he leaned forward towards Wilson. "You are so wrong."

Wilson leaned forward as well, looking his friend in the eyes. "I'm so right. Admit it."

House broke eye contact first, getting up and leaving.

"You can't from it forever, House!" He called at his retreating friend's back.

Once the door shut, he put pen to paper again, but continued to think. After a while, he noticed how late it was, and that he hadn't yet finished the chart. He got back to work and that was when an idea came to him. He grinned evilly and picked up the phone.

Cameron arrived home, and immediately began running water in the bathtub. She just wanted to relax. She wondered briefly if she hadn't gone too far that afternoon. She did, after all, want to be taken seriously and respected as a doctor, and maybe almost flashing House wasn't the way to go about it. One the other hand, she'd gotten the file she'd wanted, and maybe sex _was_ the only way to get through to him.

Still, she reminded herself; Chase and Foreman couldn't do such things to get their way. It wasn't quite fair. She debated this in her head, and concluded that it had been an isolated incident and that she would no longer stoop to such tactics to get what she wanted again.

She undressed and settled into the bath. She'd been waiting all day to relax, and it felt wonderful. She tried not to think of work, or the rest of the week, or House. The last, however, was the most difficult to banish from her mind, and she found his eyes boring into her soul every time she closed her own. In an effort to get him off her mind, she imagined the most unsexy thing she possibly could, namely the old guy she'd seen being sick outside the pharmacy that morning.

The thought had the desired effect, and she made a disgusted face at the memory. No matter how many times you saw something like that; it never stopped being kind of gross. Finishing her bath, she climbed out, dried, and put on her pajamas. She settled herself on her couch and turned the television to the local news.

She was just getting engrossed in the various reports when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Alison?"

"Dr. Wilson, is that you?"

"Yes."

"How did you get my phone number?"

"From your CV. Look, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you wanted to join me for dinner tomorrow night. Strictly a colleague thing. I took Chase and Foreman out for beers after they survived the first few days with House, and something told me you weren't the beer guzzling type."

"I like the occasional beer, but dinner sounds much better. I accept the invitation, as long as Jenn doesn't mind. Where were you thinking?"

"That new place on Elm. Jenn will be ok with it, trust me. It's semi formal."

"Not a problem. What time?"

"Seven sound good?"

"Sounds great. Thank you Dr. Wilson." She smiled.

"You're welcome. If anyone deserves congratulations for surviving House, it's you. I'll meet you there tomorrow then."

"Ok. Have a good night, Dr. Wilson."

"You too Alison. And you can call me James. Or just Wilson. Everyone does." He hung up, and Cameron replaced the phone in its cradle, thinking of what a good friend James Wilson had turned out to be.

Wilson hung up with Cameron. Now the hard sell. He dialed House's number.

"What?" came his usual cheerful greeting.

"I wanted to know if you were free tomorrow night?"

"Depends."

"Wanna go out to eat?"

"You buyin?"

"Naturally."

"All right, if you insist. Where and when? I'll meet you there, unless you wanna pick me up."

"You can get yourself there. That new place on Elm at seven. It's semi formal."

"Wilson, what's with the fancyish restaurant? You tryin to get in my pants?" Wilson could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

"Unless you're a woman named Jenn, no. Be there on time, or you can pay for your own."

"Geez. So testy all of a sudden. You do need to get laid."

Wilson sighed. "Tomorrow. Elm. Seven." He hung up, annoyed but satisfied that he'd gotten the ball rolling, so to speak.

**A/N: Please R&R!! I'm addicted to reviews. They're like chocolate. Anyways, let me know if you liked it, what you liked about it, what should go down next, etc. Thanks!!**


	11. lovely day

**A/N: Well, here I am, updating again! Go me!! I'm so close to 100 reviews, it's not funny! I'm excited, cause I never thought I'd get to that point. Thanks to you all for that! I'm sorry it's so long between updates. I'm just borderline writer's block on this fic. Two of my other fics are already on hiatus because of it, and I'm worried this one's slipping away too! Can't explain why. Hopefully, the quality won't slide. If it does, I apologize! Enjoy!!**

**Chapter 11: Lovely Day**

The next morning, Cameron awoke, refreshed for a new day. She couldn't pinpoint the exact source of her good mood, but that didn't really matter. The important thing was that nothing could faze her today, not even House.

She went about her morning routine, even humming to herself while brushing her teeth. On the drive to work, she tapped the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song on the radio, even singing the chorus.



She pulled into a parking space and headed inside with a little spring in her step. She took the elevator up to her department, and immediately set to work preparing a pot of coffee. She noticed two sets of eyes on her as she did this.

Task complete, she turned to face her co-workers. "What?"

"You're so…happy this morning."

"Yea, more than usual," Foreman agreed with Chase.

"I just know it going to be a great day, that's all, and I have plans for dinner with a friend tonight, so I'm looking forward to that." She smiled and began finishing up the paperwork she'd left behind the evening before.

House came strolling in late, carrying a case file, which he dumped in front of Foreman and Chase before making his way over to the coffeepot.



"Good morning, Dr. House," Cameron greeted him pleasantly. She felt they'd reached some kind of a plateau yesterday with the file incident, that they had finally arrived at an understanding of each other.

"What's so good about it? Are you finally quitting?" There was a note of hope in his voice that made her face fall. She recovered quickly though.

"No, of course not. The weather's beautiful, it looks like we have a busy day ahead of us; good is the perfect description for this morning." Her smile returned in full force, and he scowled at it, taking his mug of coffee and setting it on the table, launching himself into their differential.

Cameron took a seat next to Chase and listened to the discussion, interjecting with her own thoughts where needed. She didn't want to seem to overzealous and not be a team player.

After their differential, they parted ways to perform tests or whatever, depending on who they were. Cameron was disappointed that she hadn't been given a task, and when Foreman and Chase left, she followed House into his office, almost getting the door in her face when he shut it, unaware that she was so close behind him.



"What can I do?" she asked, feeling like a child waiting for a special grown-up job to do.

"Oh, did I forget you? I'm so sorry." His sarcasm was evident, but she ignored it, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, I've got Chase doing initial tests and bloodwork, and Foreman doing a patient history…I guess you can send Foreman off with Chase and do the patient history yourself. Just try not to take all day to get it done."

He almost grinned as her smile brightened her face and she hurried off to do his bidding. She looked simply radiant when she smiled like that, her eyes so full of enthusiasm and…well, life.

He shrugged off his thoughts as stupid and completely ridiculous. At least he had dinner with Wilson to look forward to. He was going to get the most expensive thing on the menu. He always did. His shift in thinking to Wilson reminded him that it was almost time for lunch. If Wilson was going to buy him dinner that night, surely he wouldn't mind buying him lunch as well.



Wilson sat behind his desk, thinking about what he'd done last night. Despite the fact that he wasn't even going to be there when House and Cameron met up at the restaurant, he was feeling nervous. What if his plan backfired? He could clearly picture House just leaving when he saw Cameron there, alone.

His thoughts were interrupted by his office door swinging open. He had his head down, but didn't need to look up to know who it was that had just entered.

"Is it lunch time already?"

"I'm hurt. Why do you automatically assume that I'm here about food. Maybe I just wanted to see my good friend James Wilson."

"No, it's about food. Give me one minute, and then we can go." He finished up what he was doing, signed a few papers that required his signature, then pushed his chair away from his desk.

"I suppose I'm buying."

"It just wouldn't seem natural any other way."

Wilson sighed. "No, it really wouldn't." He held the door for House and they walked to the elevator together.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, they noticed the three fellows at a table together, eating lunch. After getting their food, Wilson made for their table, but House steered him toward an empty one. "Cameron's happiness is getting on my nerves," was his explanation.

"Oh, it is not. You like seeing her happy, don't you? It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?" He ducked away as House's cane came swinging at him.

"Ya know, the aggression only further convinces me that I'm right, and you don't wanna talk about it, cause it embarrasses the hell out of you."

"Think whatever wrong, stupid thoughts you want. I'll get revenge tonight at dinner. I'm taking you to the cleaners."

Wilson smirked. Boy, was House in for a surprise. "I expected as much. Don't worry about it; it's all on me."

House's eyes immediately narrowed, suspicion clouding them. Wilson's nervousness came back. Was House onto his little ruse?

"You don't care if I spend a large amount of _your_ hard-earned money on food?"

"Well, as long as you don't go overboard. I do have bills to pay, after all."

House seemed to relax and added, "And alimony, don't forget alimony."

"I could never forget alimony," Wilson said through slightly clenched teeth. Typical of House to bring up the sore spot of his ex-wives.

They ate in silence, and Wilson watched Cameron, Foreman, and Chase, get up and head back to their respective tasks. When they were done, he took care of both their trays, knowing House would never clean up after himself. Then he excused himself from his friend, and went back to the sanctity of his office, hoping that House wouldn't follow him. Thankfully, he didn't.



The rest of the afternoon went quickly for Cameron. She wasn't sure why she was so excited about dinner with Wilson. She didn't eat out in restaurants all that often, so she figured that was it. She realized also that she didn't know that much about the man her friend was dating, so this was a good chance to get to know him better.

She looked over the patient history she had taken earlier in the day. Foreman and Chase's lab results had been inconclusive so they were back at square one. She had been expecting another session in front of the whiteboard, but apparently House had decided that one was enough for the day. After she had checked through the history, she delivered it to House's office. He took it without a word or glance in her direction, which left her feeling uneasy. She had grown accustomed to at least getting a stare out of him.

She left him alone to think on the contents of the file and let her gaze sweep over the conference room for something else she could do. Chase and Foreman had slipped out early after the disappointing test results, promising her they'd be in early the next day. She didn't believe them, and she figured she could leave early as well, but it didn't feel right for her to do so.

She opened his office door again. "I'm going down to the clinic until it's time to leave for the day," she announced. He raised a hand in acknowledgement but still didn't say anything. He was looking at the file she'd just handed him. She took his gesture as one of approval and headed down to the clinic.

Time passed quickly, and, before she knew it, it was past the normal time to leave and she had just enough time to get home and get ready without being late to meet Wilson.

House glanced at his watch. He still some time before meeting Wilson. He had decided not to go home beforehand, since the restaurant was closer to the hospital. Instead, he decided to pass the time napping until it was time to go meet Wilson.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Sort of a filler chapter before we get to dinner. Thank you for reading! Please review if the feeling comes upon you. I'd appreciate it!**


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